MicroLEDs, also known as micro-LEDs, μLEDs, and “mLEDs” as used herein, are gaining significant attraction as an emerging flat panel display technology. But as of yet, mLED displays have not been mass-produced or commercialized widely. The mLED displays are arrays of microscopic LEDs forming individual pixel elements. Compared to the widespread LCD technology, mLED displays provide greater contrast and faster response times, while using less energy.
Along with organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), in which a film of organic compound is stimulated to emit electroluminescence, mLEDs can be used in small low-energy devices such as smart phones and smart watches, where battery power is at a premium.
Both mLEDs and OLEDs require less energy than conventional LCD systems. Unlike OLEDs, however, the mLED technology utilizes conventional III-V inorganic semiconductor materials (GaN, InGaN, etc.) for use as self-emissive LEDs for lighting and display, which can offer higher overall brightness (e.g., 30× over OLEDs) and higher contrast than OLED products, with higher efficiency in lux per watt (lux/W) light output. The mLED technology can also provide a longer working life for the product that is hosting the mLED technology. Versions of this mLED array technology may be ideal for automotive, virtual reality, and augmented reality displays.